Brotherhood Designs
Fishers Firefighters Start Unique Business
Writer & Photographer Kylee White
It can sometimes be difficult to show patriotism in a way that is creative and tells a story. Thats where Brotherhood Designs comes in.
Brotherhood Designs was started by Rob Demlow and Scott Carr, two Firefighter EMTs. The startup of their business was unintentional when they made their first flag as a project in their station, but ended up turning into something bigger.
We never thought last year that we would start a business until we started seeing that people felt like they wanted to display one of these in their homes or their businesses, Demlow says. We had no intention of starting a business in January of this year. But In February we started scrambling and thought, Well let’s just try this and it basically turned out to be more of a success than we would have ever thought.
Carr and Demlow are both a part of the Fishers Fire Department, Demlow for 17 years and Carr for 23. Both feel that displaying patriotism is important to them.
I think our goals are that any place that feels like theyd like to display their patriotism and have a neat and different piece of art on their wall, our goal is to match what the customer wants, Demlow says. It’s a unique thing to display. What we’re finding is that it kind of creates a good buzz within their community. If it’s in a home say you have a family gathering, were trying to create some good buzz about patriotism really.
Their flags are created out of retired hoses they receive from surrounding Fire Stations. Each year most departments test all of the hoses at their stations and discard the ones that are damaged one way or another. Carr and Demlow look at this as another way to share stories through their art.
We like to say that pretty much every hose has a story, Demlow says. Each hose is going to be unique, which means every flag is going to be unique. Theres going to be rips and tears and stuff like that. When we’re putting them together they become a story that maybe isnt verbal but its showing where its been.
The more damage to the hose shows more of the life of that fire hose and what it’s been through creates a bigger buzz around each flag that we do because we were able to show that, Carr adds.
Currently, Brotherhood Designs have flags placed around the Fishers area, as well as some surrounding states as well. They can be found in Nashville TN, Southern California, and they are shipping out a flag right outside of New Orleans in Louisiana as well.
To learn more about Brotherhood Designs visit brotherhooddesigns.net or visit them on their Facebook and Instagram at Brotherhood Designs, LLC.
